Smoke purifier for cigarette holders,pipes and other smoking apparatus



July 14, 1970 3,520,307

Ju FIZET SMOKE PURIFIER FOR CIGARETTE HOLDERS, PIPES AND OTHER SMOKINGAPPARATUS INVENToR JACQUES FIZET ATTOR EYS Juy 14, i970 J. FnzET3,520,307

SMOKE PURIFIEH FR CIGARETTE HOLDERS PIPES AND OTHER SMOKING APPARATUS 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 26, 1967 INVENTOR JACQUES FIZET EYS UnitedStates Patent O U.S. Cl. 131-187 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Asmoke treating device for cigarette-holders, pipes and other smokingapparatus comprising a first tubular member and a removable innerelement fitted in said tubular member arranged to provide pluralconcentric ducts for reversing the flow of smoke through the device. Oneof the ducts comprises a tubular member having a polygonal section and aradially outwardly tapering inner wall, the planar faces of which aretangent to and contact a central circular sectioned tubular duct toprovide smoke channels therebetween. The first tubular member has acylindrical socket having an annular shoulder at its inner end andradially inwardly directed ridges that are angularly spaced and extendpartially outwardly therein and terminate in radially inwardly directedlugs at their outer ends. The inner element has a head at its outer endhaving a peripheral flange that seats between the lugs and the shoulder,bosses on its outer face for spacing the unlit end of a cigarette fromthe outer face, a skirt having slits on the inner end of the head forpermitting smoke to be drawn beyond the head into an annular passagebetween the inner wall of the first tubular member and the outer wall ofthe polygonal tubular member, through the smoke channels and thenthrough the central duct, the central duct having an exit for the smokeat the inner end thereof.

This is a continuationinpart of the application Ser. No. 551,082 filedon May 18, 1966 and now abandoned.

This invention relates to a smoke treating device or purifier intendedfor use in a smoking apparatus, such as a pipe or a cigarette-holder.

The object of the invention is to provide a smoke treating device orpurifier in which the condensation of impurities is effective withoutproducing clogging or substantial restriction of the passages for thesmoke. Cleaning of the purifier is required only after a long period ofuse, or, alternatively, the purifier may be discarded after being usedfor a comparatively long time.

The important features and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent as the following description of the invention proceeds withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a smoke treating deviceaccording to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a left end elevational view of said device;

FIG. 3 is a transverse, sectional view taken substantially upon a planepassing along reference line III-III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a transverse, sectional view taken substantially upon a planepassing along reference line lV--IV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the tubular socket of thedevice of FIG. l;

FIG. `6 is an elevational view of the inner element of the device ofFIG. l'.

3,520,307 Patented July 14, 1970 PigeV FIG. 7 is a longitudinalsectional View of the inner element shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a left end elevational view of the inner element shown in FIG.6;

FIG. 9 is a right end elevational view of the inner element shown inFIG. 6.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 9, the smoke treating device which ispreferably made of transparent or translucent molded plastic material,comprises a first tubular member A having a cylindrical wall defining acigarette receiving socket 1 at the outer end thereof. The inner end ofthe cylindrical wall has a first radially inwardly directed annularshoulder 6 which is provided with angularly spaced ridges 6 extendingoutwardly therefrom along the internal surface of the cylindrical wall.Each ridge 7 terminates at its outer end in a radially inwardly directedlug 8. The radial dimension of each ridge 7 is substantially less thanthat of said shoulder 6. Said first tubular member A has also a tubularextension 2 extending inwardly beyond said cigarette receiving socket 1.The tubular extension 2 has a diameter substantially less than that ofthe socket 1.

The inner end of extension 2 has a radially inwardly directed annularmember 3, said member being inclined outwardly of the device andprovides a frustoconical Wall at said inner end, and a tapering tubularmember 4 which extends outwardly of the device from the inner endportion of the frustoconical wall of member 3 to a position adjacent toand inward of the inner end of socket 1. A junction element 16a in saidfirst tubular member has an external frustoconical form. A secondoutwardly facing annular shoulder 16 is formed in said junction element,the outer diameter of said second shoulder 16 being equal to the innerdiameter of the first shoulder 6.

The smoke treating device according to the invention also comprises aninsert B for the first tubular member A.

Insert B comprises a head 15 at the outer end portion, i.e., the portionthereof which is nearest to the outer end of the device. The head 15 hasa radially outwardly extending flange 10 adapted to fit between theinner ends of lugs -8 and the outer face of the first shoulder 6 bywhich it is held in position when said insert B is inserted into thefirst tubular member. The diameter of the circle formed by the innerends of the lugs 8 in relation to the diameter of the flange 10 is suchthat the resilience of the plastic or other material used for theproduction of these parts will permit the flange to be forced in and outof its position between ridges 7, without damaging any of the parts.

The outer surface 17 of head 15, i.e., the surface directed towards theouter end of the device is provided with a plurality of bosses 18protruding into the cigarette receiving socket 1 and thus limiting theextent to which a cigarette may be inserted into said socket 1, therebyspacing the unlit end of such a cigarette from the outer surface 17.

When insert B is in position inside of the first tubular member and head15 is held by ridges 7 an annular channel 19 is formed which is dividedinto a plurality of channel sections by ridges 7.

Head 15 is also provided with a cylindrical skirt 14 extending inwardlyof the device and having an inner edge adapted to contact the secondshoulder 16. Skirt 14 has a plurality of radially extending andangularly spaced longitudinal slits 21 extending therethrough.

Skirt 14 is spaced radially outwardly of a central solid portion 9 ofthe insert B and extends inwardly of the device from said flangedportion of the head 15 and provides a space between the skirt and thesolid portion 9. Skirt 14 has an external diameter that is less than theinner diameter of said first shoulder 6 and thus a space 20 is providedbetween the skirt and the internal portion of the junction element 16A.The head 15 has a polygonal extension-member v11 extending inwardlytherefrom and a radially outwardly tapering inner wall, said polygonalextension member terminating adjacent to and outwardly of thefrustoconical wall of member 3 at the inner end of the first tubularmember A. The dimensions of the polygonal extension member are such thatthe outer surface of the tapering tubular member 4 is in contact withthe angularly spaced portions of polygonal eX- tension member adjacentto the inner end portion of the device thereby providing plural channels25 for smoke which may pass from a cigarette, held in socket 1, inwardlythrough channels 19, formed between ridges 7, into the annular spaceadjacent to the periphery of skirt 14, through slits 21 in skirt 14 intothe space between the Skirt and the central core of the head 1S,inwardly through a first annular passage 22, formed between thepolygonal tubular extension and the extension 2 from the socket 1,outwardly through the first annular passage 12 located between thetubular extension 11 and the tapering tubular member 4, and inwardlythrough the passage 5 in the tubular member 4.

A condensation chamber is thus constituted by the rst annular passage22, the second annular passage 12 and a third passage 5 formed inside ofthe tubular member 4. The second annular passage 12 is divided intofour' longitudinal channels defined by the inner contour of thepolygonal extension members and the outer wall of member 4.

A filter element not shown in the drawing may be inserted in the devicepreferably in the tubular extension 2.

The smoke treating device as shown in FIGS. l to 9 may be used directlyas a cigarette holder and a portion thereof may be inserted in aseparate outside holder E outlined diagrammatically in FIG. l with adash-dot line.

The operation of `the smoke treating device of FIGS. l to 9 is asfollows:

Under the effect of aspiration, exerted by the smoker, the mouth ofwhich may be applied to the end 3 of the tubular socket, the smoke to bepurified is dra-wn through the smoke-deflecting bosses 1-8 towards theperipheral channels 19 and then admitted through the annular space 20.

The smoke then passes through radially-disposed slits 21 at thesmoke-admitting or outer ends of which exists a slight overpressure dueto the restricted cross-sectional area of said slits with respect tothat of the annular space 20. Conditions propitious to condensation arepresent in said slits and in the aforesaid second annular passage. Moreparticularly, condensation is facilitated by the two changes indirection of the smoke between the areas where it flows longitudinallyand the slits 21 where it flows transversely, and, by the restrictedcross-sectional area of said slits. However, the aforesaid over-pressureforces the impurities which would tend to form deposits in said slitstowards the condensation chamber where the conditions are propitious,for the first time, to condensation and to deposition of 4the condensedimpurities such as tars. Said conditions are due to the fact that thecross-sectional area offered to the passage of the smoke is greater thanin the part of the path of the smoke in the device and that the surfacesin contact with the smoke in said condensation chamber are colder andmore extended than in the aforesaid part. In fact practically all thecondensable impurities are condensed and deposited in the first passage22 of the condensation chamber.

The inner wall of the central ysolid portion 9 of insert B, whichdefines one end of the second annular passage 12 and forces the smoke,which is moving through that passage, to reverse its direction, alsofacilitates deposition of condensable impurities.

The inner contour of the projecting member 11, favors the centering ofthe inner element 9 in the tubular socket 2 without the latterpreventing the passage of the smoke already well purified after itspassage in the first annular passage 22.

The aforesaid cigarette-holder is of very low cost and may be used asufficiently long time without requiring a cleaning operation. `Its lowcost permits it to be discarded after use, at any time before cleaningbecomes necessary.

It should be noted that the different components of the device accordingto the invention may be made of any appropriate material, as forinstance plastic material, metal, etc., formed by molding, by injectionor by any similar process.

What I claim is:

1. A smoke treating device adapted for use in a cigarette holdercomprising a first tubular member having a cylindrical wall defining acigarette receiving socket at the o-uter end thereof, the inner end ofthe cylindrical wall having a first radially inwardly directed annularshoulder having angularly spaced ridges extending outwardly therefromalong the internal surface of the cylindrical wall, each ridgeterminating at its outer end in a radially inwardly directed lug, theradial dimension of each ridge being substantially less than that ofsaid shoulder, said tubular member having a tubular extension extendinginwardly beyond said socket, said extension having a diametersubstantially less than that of said socket, the inner end of saidextension having a radially inwardly directed annular member that isinclined outwardly of the device providing a frustoconical wall at saidend, and a' tapering tubular member extending outwardly of the devicefrom the radially inner end portion o-f said frustoconical wall to aposition adjacent to and inward of the inner end of said socket, saidrst tubular member having a junction element having an externalfrustoconical form, and having a second outwardly facing annularshoulder having an outer diameter equal to the inner diameter of thefirst shoulder, said device also including an insert for said firsttubular member, the insert comprising a head at the outer end portionthereof, the head having a radially outwardly extending ange adapted tofit between the inner ends of said lugs and the outer face of said firstshoulder and to be retained therein thereby, the outer surface of saidhead having bosses adapted to limit the extent to which a cigarette maybe inserted in said socket and to space the unlit end of such acigarette from the outer face of said head, said head having acylindrical skirt extending inwardly of the device and having an inneredge adapted to contact said second shoulder, said skirt having radiallyextending and angularly spaced longitudinal slits extendingtherethrough, said skirt being spaced radially outwardly of a centralsolid portion extending inwardly of the device from said flanged portionproviding a space therebetween, the skirt having an external diameterthat is less than that of the inner diameter of said first shoulderproviding a space between the skirt and the internal portion of thejunction element between said first and second shoulders, the headhaving a polygonal extension member extending inwardly therefrom and aradially outwardly tapering inner wall, said polygonal extensionterminating adjacent to and outwardly of the frustoconical wall at theinner end of the first tubular member, the dimensions of said polygonalextension member being such that the outer surface of the taperingtubular member is in contact with angularly spaced portions of polygonalextension member adjacent to the inner end portion of the device therebyproviding plural channels for smoke which may pass from a cigarette insaid socket, inwardly through the channels between said ridges into theannular space adjacent to the periphery of the skirt, through the slitsin the skirt into the space between the skirt and the central core ofthe head, through an annular passage formed between the polygonaltubular extension and the extension from said socket, outwardly throughsaid channels into an annular passage between the tubular extension andthe tapering tubular member, and outwardly through said tapering tubularmember.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Roebel 131-213 X Loier 1'3'1--187Heller.

Blomster.

Miller 131-188 Stern 131-213 X Sutter 131--187 Redford 131-187 Parrigin13`1-182 6 FOREIGN PATENTS 29,965 12/1884 Germany. 323,561 7/1920Germany. 681,954 2/1930 France. 5 19,670 1902 Great Britain. 6,618 1908Great Britain. 406,241 11/1943 Italy.

10 JOSEPH S. REICH, Primary Examiner U.S. C1. X.R.

